Aqua America buys Sparta water company

SPARTA  Further spreading its Sussex County footprint, Aqua America announced that it recently purchased Summit Lakes municipal water system from Sparta Township for $10,000.

The system serves about 225 people in Stockholm.

Aqua America Chairman Nicholas DeBenedictis said in a statement: Our New Summit Lake customers will benefit from the economies of scale that result from our operations in four other nearby communities in Sussex County. It is also close to Sussex Borough, where we were recently cited as the successful bidder for their water and wastewater system assets.

The company offered the Sussex Borough $11.38 million for the water/sewer utility. The decision of the sale is scheduled for a November voter referendum.

The acquisition of the Summit Lakes system was announced on Friday.

In Sussex County, Aqua serves customers in parts of Fredon, Vernon, Hardyston and Green, said Donna Alston, a communications manager with Aqua.

The specific assets include Vernon Water Co., Wallkill Water & Sewer Co. in Hardyston, Bear Brook Water & Sewer in Fredon and Tranquility Springs Water in Green.

Sparta Mayor Molly Whilesmith said the sale price was based on an appraisal value of the utility.

She said it was not cost effective or efficient for the township to run, maintain and service the utility based purely on its geographic location.

She added that the township needs to focus on customers from Sparta.

According to Whilesmith, Sparta's utility has 6,500 service connections and serves about 20,000 customers.

The Summit Lakes customers may be better serviced by a water company, rather than the township, she said.